Review: The quiet side of guitarist Bobby Broom’s art

September 16, 2016

By Howard Reich

Listeners long have savored the music of Chicago guitarist Bobby Broom, but his work never has sounded more intimate than it did Thursday night at the Jazz Showcase.

Leading a trio that reveled in understatement, Broom performed as if leading a session in his living room, the rest of us invited to eavesdrop. Even Broom’s spoken introductions were delivered at something just above a whisper, the musician in every way encouraging his audience to lean in a bit to fully perceive what was happening.

Like many jazz musicians of boomer vintage, Broom has nurtured a love of pop hits from the 1960s and ’70s, and he indulged it on this occasion, in most appealing ways.

Their appearances at the Green Mill Jazz Club and elsewhere built a large and loyal following in Chicago and beyond, the three having achieved a degree of synchronicity and mutual intuitiveness not routinely encountered.

But like many long-running ensembles, Deep Blue eventually disbanded, leaving Broom to put together another band when Steely Dan invited him to serve as opening act for a 2014 tour. Ever since, Broom has been championing his new Organi-Sation, which played the Green Mill Jazz Club successfully last summer and opened a still more impressive four-night engagement Thursday evening at the Jazz Showcase.

Last summer, Chicago guitarist Bobby Broom put together a new organ trio at the behest of Steely Dan, which wanted an opening act for its “Jamalot Ever After” tour.

Broom obliged, creating his Organi-Sation, a band that put the jazz guitarist in front of Steely Dan’s huge and devoted audience in a whirlwind three months of performances. But that unit – with Ben Paterson at the organ and Kobie Watkins and Makaya McCraven playing drums on varying dates – hasn’t been performing since the Steely Dan tour.

Until Friday night, when Broom reconvened the musicians for a weekend run at the Green Mill, which launched what amounts to the band’s second act: The trio will open for Steely Dan again at Ravinia on Friday and Saturday, with a recording session to follow.

Last summer, Chicago guitarist Bobby Broom put together a new organ trio at the behest of Steely Dan, which wanted an opening act for its “Jamalot Ever After” tour.

Broom obliged, creating his Organi-Sation, a band that put the jazz guitarist in front of Steely Dan’s huge and devoted audience in a whirlwind three months of performances. But that unit – with Ben Paterson at the organ and Kobie Watkins and Makaya McCraven playing drums on varying dates – hasn’t been performing since the Steely Dan tour.

Until Friday night, when Broom reconvened the musicians for a weekend run at the Green Mill, which launched what amounts to the band’s second act: The trio will open for Steely Dan again at Ravinia on Friday and Saturday, with a recording session to follow.

The Organi-Sation, in other words, is back – and it has brought the 1960s and ’70s with it.

Upper West Side Story

Bobby on “Upper West Side Story”

“After many years of recording other people’s music, whether pop songs or jazz, I finally decided to release a record of entirely my own compositions. This record offers a pretty intimate look into my musical personality and the trio’s group chemistry. While the tunes represent a wide spectrum of stylistic influences, they always stay deeply true to jazz’s traditions.”

Hear more from Bobby in the video about the album…

About the Album

After 30 years of critically acclaimed recordings of the work of Jazz’ top composers and work as a sideman with Jazz legends like Sonny Rollins, master guitarist Bobby Broom released the critically acclaimed “Upper West Side Story” in 2012, his first recording of entirely original compositions.

Included is the first studio recording of Broom’s “D’s Blues,” a song which has been a hit on web video for several years.

Special Designations

What the Critics Say

His first album made up entirely of original compositions, “Upper West Side Story” (Origin Records), won richly deserved critical accolades and considerable airplay, while helping buoy him onto the DownBeat Critics Poll. – Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune

“One of the top guitarists of his generation, Bobby Broom’s preferred setting is a small group, while he excels in the demanding trio setting” – Ken Dryden, AllMusic

“‘Upper West Side Story’, is a real listening pleasure… Bobby Broom’s new project is more than just a guitar trio record. It’s a really intriguing collection of tunes and excellent performances.” – Jazztruth

The past year was a momentous one for the widely admired Chicago guitarist Bobby Broom.

His first album made up entirely of original compositions, “Upper West Side Story” (Origin Records), won richly deserved critical accolades and considerable airplay, while helping buoy him onto the DownBeat Critics Poll.

In addition, Broom, who had spent much of the past decade touring the globe with tenor saxophone colossus Sonny Rollins, made his belated debut as headliner at the Jazz Showcase and became quite busy at North Park University, teaching a full load of very fortunate guitar students.

In essence, Broom became more deeply rooted than ever in musical Chicago since moving here from his native New York in 1984.

The past year was a momentous one for the widely admired Chicago guitarist Bobby Broom.

His first album made up entirely of original compositions, “Upper West Side Story” (Origin Records), won richly deserved critical accolades and considerable airplay, while helping buoy him onto the DownBeat Critics Poll.

In addition, Broom, who had spent much of the past decade touring the globe with tenor saxophone colossus Sonny Rollins, made his belated debut as headliner at the Jazz Showcase and became quite busy at North Park University, teaching a full load of very fortunate guitar students.

In essence, Broom became more deeply rooted than ever in musical Chicago since moving here from his native New York in 1984.

On the other hand, Broom last year lost his 92-year-old father and now finds himself at a kind of crossroads in his life and career.

“That event kind of required that I kind of slow down and take stock of life in a different way,” says Broom, who leads his trio this weekend at the Jazz Showcase in a follow-up to last year’s successful engagement.